All About Us
by xCissneix
Summary: A series of drabbles centered around the evolution of Tseng and Cissnei's relationship, with appearances from the Before Crisis player Turks, Reno, Rude, Elena, and Rufus Shinra.
1. Grazed Knees

A/N: I don't own any of the characters, Square-Enix does. For those of you who read Megalomaniac, I'm sorry I haven't posted...I started on the next chapter and realized it was heading in a different direction than I had originally planned, so I'm taking some time off. Please review!

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**Grazed Knees**

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There was something odd in the way his Wutainian subordinate looked at his pet project. It wasn't hatred or jealousy. He just seemed curious about the small girl training to be a Turk. Maybe he wondered what Shinra would want with such a young girl, or maybe he wondered how that same young girl could outperform him in almost any training task.

Whatever it was, Veld was sure Tseng didn't deserve the coldness he received in return.

Cissnei was almost cruel to the young man, ignoring him unless given a direct order to do otherwise and did what she could to injure him in training. So Veld cornered her one day, demanding an answer. All he got was a frown and a quiet, "You like him better," from the normally articulate girl.

Then, suddenly, they were inseparable. Cissnei followed Tseng wherever he went, to the point that Veld had to invent errands to give her so the poor teenage boy could get some air.

One day, years later , when Cissnei was barely a preteen and Tseng was nearing his twenties, Veld finally asked what had happened to make her change her opinion of him. "Grazed knees," he answered simply, taking a drink of his coffee. "She fell hard on the outdoor course and no one else was around."

_Grazed knees_. To think, if it hadn't been for that, Cissnei probably would have still hated him.

Watching his subordinate trying to stifle the smile attempting to break through, Veld's glad she fell that day.


	2. Feel Good Drag

A/N: I don't own any of the characters, Square-Enix does. The title of this chapter comes from a song by Anberlin...Again, please review!

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**Feel Good Drag**

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Tseng tried to keep Zack away. He pushed, combating Zack's bubbly, borderline annoying cheerfulness with thinly veiled annoyance. But every time he pushed, Cissnei pulled, and soon Zack had won.

It didn't matter that he was a flirt, or the fact that it was quite obvious that he was enamored by the flower girl in pink. He was someone outside of the Turks, her lifeline to normalcy. And she didn't want to let go.

Costa del Sol was supposed to _theirs_. Their vacation, their time to be alone, and his time to separate her from Zack. Veld had raised an eyebrow when he had asked for vacation time for the both of them, but hadn't asked questions. As long as he didn't know, there was no need for repercussions, no need to lecture two of his best subordinates on breaking the fraternization rules.

Looking back, part of Tseng wished he had let her run full speed ahead towards the young SOLDIER. Then she would have had no one to blame but herself when it all came crashing down. Instead, she blamed him for holding her back and keeping him out of reach.

When he died, she railed against him, blinding throwing everything she could reach in her apartment in his direction, yelling about how it was his fault that Zack loved Aerith. He would never tell her how many blows landed, how many glasses broke against his body, or how many stitches he had to have that night.

But if it made her feel better…Well, that was fine by him.


	3. Come As You Are

A/N: I don't own any of the characters, Square-Enix does.

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**Come As You Are**

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Veld watched the newsflash on the television: _Leader of Turks killed in action; is reign of terror over? _He shook his head sadly, remembering his successor. He knew Tseng wouldn't go down without a fight and he wished he had information on the incident.

He wished he had something more to tell Cissnei. Any minute now, she was going to walk back into the house from her daily traipse around the property, and she was going to see the news. And he'd have nothing more to tell her. Not a sliver of information on how he died, where he died, or why he was gone. Nothing.

And she'd break.

The door creaked open and he could hear her soft footsteps approaching, full of apprehension. He didn't turn to look at her. "…Veld?" He could imagine her looking from the back of his stiff figure to the television, eyes wide and scared. He could feel her retreating away from him slowing, and guessed she needed to sit down. "No…," her voice was quiet and shaky, trembling from the effort of choking the tears down. "It can't be. They're wrong…"

"Cissnei…," he started, still not turning to face her. It was a private moment, one she should have shared with Reno or even Rude, but he had taken that from her when he had run from the company, taking most of his "family" with him. This was a moment they should have had back at the Company, sitting in the break room, faces carefully composed as they mourned their loss.

"It's just a ruse, right? To make AVALANCHE think that the Company's in disarray. The attacks will stop…" It was heart wrenching for him to hear her rationalize, to try to make it seem less real than it was. "He'll call and tell us it's all in the plan, that everything's okay…"

"No one's calling, Cissnei," he said, his tone short and clipped. Turning his head so he could see her in his peripheral vision, he saw her recoil like he had hit her. "We're dead, Cissnei. They aren't going to call."

And no one did. Veld tried calling the others who were exiled, but those who answered knew nothing about what had happened. Rafe, Max, and Adrian were in the wind, none of them answering Veld's calls. Cissnei paced and fidgeted during the day, spending her nights sleeping on the couch with the television on, hoping for any scrap of information. In three days time, it was old news to the rest of the world, and Veld watched his youngest old friend carefully compose the mask she wore when Zack had died and shove all of her feelings into a box in the back of her mind.

Then the rest of their misfit family started appearing. First it was Samantha, accompanied by her trademark shotgun and Adrian, looking sullen and witout his katana, which was an odd sight. Then Andrew showed up, Rebecca with him, her blonde hair still the same length as it had been the last time they were together. Rafe arrived without his guns and Yuuko followed him silently, the mercenary mask in place. Finally, Max arrived, his bulky frame barely fitting through the door.

And so, one week after the announcement of Tseng's death, they stood side by side, surrounding an imaginary grave. There would never be a body for them to bury, whether it be here or in Midgar. None of them held flowers and none of them cried, instead just offering their silent support to each other.

After that, they went their separate ways again, deciding that when the time came, they would head to Midgar and help the company that had turned its back on them.


	4. Welcome Home

A/N: I don't own any of the characters, Square-Enix does.

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**Welcome Home**

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He knew he had promised Elena dinner, but he just couldn't bring himself to keep that little engagement when this was all over, nor could he bring himself to tell her that it wasn't going to happen. Veld had taken a huge risk in appearing in Midgar to help evacuate the citizens, but Tseng was glad for it. They were all still alive, every last one of them looking just the same as they had before the battle with the Jade WEAPON. And Cissnei…Cissnei had stood there next to Veld and smiled, just like she had before Zack entered her life.

It was surreal, to say the least.

They left just after the last citizen was evacuated. Cissnei stood, rooted to the spot, looking between me and Elena as the rest scattered, going back to their little corners of the world. Veld ran back, grabbing her arm and pulling her with him. "Cissnei, we need to go. Now!" Reluctantly, she followed, keeping pace with the former leader. After that, she didn't look back. He supposed she was afraid of what she would see if she did, and he couldn't fault her for it. Elena wasn't the most discreet when it came to her affections, and even though they weren't returned, Tseng could see how Cissnei's mind could quickly jump to the conclusion that they were.

He regretted not being able to speak with her, ask her how she was doing, or apologize for any pain he may have caused her, but there wasn't any time to waste with Meteor looming just over Midgar. Reno and Rude had left to scout for any remaining civilians, leaving Elena with him. She was babbling on about some nonsense, but he could catch words and phrases about Rebecca here and there. He was more focused on the redhead who had departed for Gaia knows where, and he silently prayed that wherever she was, she would be safe from Meteor.

The storms started and the two of them ran for shelter, finding it in an abandoned building nearby. He hoped Reno and Rude had done the same, and thought about the others. Had they made it back to wherever they came from safely? He wanted to see Cissnei again and briefly wondered in the back of his mind if there would ever be a time where they could all be together again.

Elena sat next to him, silent for once.

Not too long after, the earthquakes started and they waited quietly, the two of them wanting to live through this for very different reasons.


	5. The Invisible Man

A/N: I don't own any of the characters, Square-Enix does.

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**The Invisible Man**

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Now that Sephiroth had been defeated (again) and the stigma had been cured, things in Edge were quiet. Granted, nothing was quiet when Reno dragged the Turks to Seventh Heaven for drinks after 'work' and Elena had downed a few. Between Reno's already obnoxious behavior amplified by alcohol and Elena's drunken flirting, Tseng had never been more sure in his life that he needed a vacation.

And he didn't even need to ask. He had barely stepped into Rufus' makeshift office when the blond said, "Take two weeks, you look like you could use a vacation." He spent the first couple days traveling around the continent, checking out his various apartments, hoping she had chosen to hide out in one of them, but no such luck.

What was it Veld had said when they were looking for Rufus? "They're positioned all over Gaia, living their own lives." And he couldn't get in touch with any of them.

Then on the fifth day, he got an email from an unknown sender. _Meet me tonight at 7:00 in the bar in Kalm. I'll be waiting in the darkest corner._

He walked in at 6:55, his old workaholic tendencies kicking in. He had kept his gun on him, rather than opting to keep it in his car. Veld sat in the corner, watching the people around him cautiously, until his eyes rested on Tseng. He nodded in acknowledgment before rising. Walking over to the younger man, he placed a hand on Tseng's elbow, guiding him out. "Let's take a walk."

Tseng followed silently until they came to the edge of town. "What is this about, sir?"

Veld waved off the formality. "You're looking for Cissnei, aren't you?" Tseng only nodded in response, the dread slowly creeping up. Had she died during Meteorfall? Did the stigma kill her? "Before you even start asking questions, she's fine. Left our hideout right after Meteorfall, but she keeps in touch. She was down in Gongaga last week."

"Did she tell them? Zack's parents?" When Shinra had still been around, she hadn't been able to inform the Fairs of their son's tragic death, though she checked on them occasionally.

Veld nodded. "She stayed with Adrian while she was down there." The older man's eyes scanned the area, watching.

"Where is she now?"

"Edge, actually. I'm kind of surprised you haven't run into each other. Tuesti has her doing some surveillance for the W.R.O."

"Weren't you guys supposed to lay low or something?" Tseng asked, one eyebrow raised.

A dark chuckle escaped the older man's lips. "We are laying low. Well, most of us, anyway. Max started a private investigating business in Costa del Sol. Legend's still there. Rebecca's teaching in Junon; Andrew's living with her. Samantha went back to Mideel; they're going to see if they can rebuild. Yuuko and Rafe are in Edge as well, working security for the W.R.O."

"I'm assuming they have cover names?"

Veld nodded again. "Markus and Valerie."

"And Cissnei?"

"Claire Dorian." Veld looked away from him, off into the distance. "I know this is going to sound sentimental, but I hope that a day comes where we can be ourselves again." He looked back at his old subordinate, studying him.

Tseng nodded in agreement. "I hope so too."

Veld held out a hand and Tseng took it in a firm handshake. "It's been good seeing you, Tseng."

He nodded stiffly. "Thank you. For meeting me, I mean."

The corner of the older man's mouth upturned slightly. "You miss her. I get it. Just take a couple of days to think about what you want before you storm the building."

Tseng chuckled. "I will." He watched Veld walk away, getting into a car he hadn't even realized was there, before getting into his own, driving back to Healin.


	6. All I Want is You

A/N: I don't own any of the characters, Square-Enix does.

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**All I Want is You**

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The city of Edge was depressing, but at least you could see the sky. The sunlight was the only real difference Tseng could see between the slums of Midgar and the new city. Reno had insisted on coming along, and so he parked at Seventh Heaven, where Reno had apparently wanted to go. He headed off down the street, toward the W.R.O. building a couple of blocks away. He didn't mind the walk, but he was glad he had opted to leave the tie and blazer back at Healin, considering the suspicious looks he was already receiving.

Once he got to the building, it was just a matter of flashing his ID card and some secretary would call Reeve down. Shinra may have been defunct, but people still feared the Turks. _Old habits die hard, _Tseng thought, walking up to the secretary.

He hadn't even made it halfway across the lobby before she had the phone dialed, and he barely even got to the desk before she said, " Third floor, last office on the left. He's waiting."

He nodded in thanks before walking toward the elevators. Reeve was waiting, but not in his office. "I didn't know if she gave you directions to the office," he laughed nervously. "Follow me," Reeve turned and headed down the hall.

The building was sparsely decorated and the walls were a mute color, Tseng noted as he followed Reeve. A far cry from the Shinra building, which had plants and sitting areas and the expensive flooring was always covered with jewel-toned rugs. "So what brings you here, Tseng? Rufus have you running errands?"

"Actually, Reeve…I'm looking for a Claire Dorian." The other man stopped dead in his tracks, turning around.

His eyes were wide. "How did you…," he started, flustered. Waving it off, he chuckled. "I don't know why I even ask anymore. You guys have eyes everywhere."

"Is she in, or is she out running surveillance?"

"Oh, she's in. I'll take you to her." With that, he switched back, taking Tseng towards the stairs.

It seemed that Reeve was a lot like Elena when it came to talking. A lot of rambling, with bits of relevant information slipped in. Reeve turned his head to look at him as they walked down the stairs. "So, are you on vacation?"

"Yes," he replied, nodding.

"That's great! You know, I think the last vacation you had was, what? Ten years ago? That one to Costa."

"That's the one," Tseng confirmed dryly. He knew he was a workaholic, and didn't really need anyone to remind him. Reeve pushed open a door and Tseng found himself in a hallway exactly like the one they had just left.

"She's just down this way…" Reeve wandered down the hallway coming to a stop at the last door on the right. He knocked, and Tseng could hear a faint female voice on the other side of the wall. Reeve beckoned him in and he followed.

Cissnei looked up from her desk, dropping her pen onto the stack of papers she had been reading. "How did you…?" she started, before rolling her eyes. "Veld. Of course."

Reeve started backing out of the room. "Well, I'll leave you two alone then. Cissnei…Tseng, good to see you again."

"You too, Reeve." He heard the door click behind him, but waited for a signal to come closer. After all, for all she knew he could be there to kill her. Not likely, but it was in their nature to be cautious.

"Well? You spent all this time tracking me down, you might as well sit down." She smiled at him, cocking her head to the side. She was trying to gauge his motives. He moved towards her desk, sitting in one of the chairs.

"I, uh, got a couple weeks of vacation. The President said I needed it." He was a little nervous, not that he would admit it to anyone.

"And Veld told you where to find me." It wasn't a question, just a fact stated.

"I've missed you, Cissnei." He didn't look at her while he said it, but he could see her face in his peripheral vision.

In the first second, she was shocked. Then her face shifted back into its mask. "Really? You and Elena seemed cozy."

"Elena and I have a--"

"Strictly professional relationship?" She cut him off, looking at him curiously.

"Yes," he replied cautiously, realizing where she was going to go with this.

"You know…_we_ were strictly professional at one point, too. I know what the phrase entails." One eyebrow was raised, and she wasn't smiling.

"That was completely different, and you know it. Elena's affections are one-sided; I don't feel the same way!" The last part was said a little louder than he had intended, and Cissnei was silent for a moment.

"You don't?" Her question was spoken softly, as if she was asking herself.

"No; Elena and I are colleagues, nothing more. Never will be more," he added, looking at her carefully.

"But…" he knew she had so many doubts about him, about _them_, and he would do his best to quiet them. Aerith was gone, Zack was gone, and he had cared about the woman in front of him for as long as could remember.

_All I want is you, nothing more. _The thought popped into his head, unbidden, and his inner Turk shot it down.


	7. Ever Fallen in Love?

A/N: I don't own any of the characters, Square-Enix does.

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**Ever Fallen in Love?**

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She called him often, whether it was between surveillance posts or on her breaks. If he didn't answer, she left a voice mail, just chatting on about whatever until the phone cut her off. Normally, he found it annoying and a waste of time when people rambled about mundane things; he didn't care so much when Cissnei did it.

After Reno caught him smiling while listening to one of her voice mails, he started wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Was he sick? Had he finally cracked under the weight of leading the team?

"So, boss man. Who's the squeeze?" The redhead asked, grabbing his coffee in the break room while Tseng finished up some paperwork.

"She's not a 'squeeze,' as you so delicately put it, not like it's any of your business."

"Ooh, touchy. Girlfriend, maybe?" Reno cocked an eyebrow, smiling.

"No. Now stop spouting your nonsense before someone hears you." Tseng signed the paper he was on, hoping it would give Reno a clue to go away.

"Oh! Now we're getting' somewhere. You don't want 'Laney to go all crazy. Must be serious." Rude walked in, standing next to his partner as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Hey, partner. Boss man's got himself a girl." Rude said nothing, only adjusting his tie with one hand while he held his coffee in the other.

"Hey, buddy. Didn't you hear me? He's got a girl."

A blond head poked itself into the break room from the hallway. "Who's got a girl?" Elena asked, her nosy nature revealing itself.

Reno nearly choked on his coffee. "Oh. Um…no one."

"But you just said-"

"I was joking. I can't believe you would take me, of all people, seriously. How long have you known me?"


	8. A Current Obsession

A/N: I don't own any of the characters, Square-Enix does.

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**A Current Obsession**

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Reno was following him, he was sure of it. So, every day, he left a little earlier and walked around until Reno gave up and went back to the office. Then, Tseng would go to the place where he and Cissnei would meet.

It wasn't lunch, just a midday coffee break. And each day, they'd go to a different café, both taking a different route than the other and arriving separately. He knew Cissnei probably thought their behavior was bordering on paranoia, but he had always been of the belief that it was better to be safe than sorry.

On their 12th meeting, she had ordered some sugar loaded drink with the works: chocolate, caramel, and whipped cream piled high with an extra shot of espresso. She had smiled wide and said please, when he cocked an eyebrow at her in amusement.

It was The Look.

Tseng and The Look had a bad track record. He could never say no, especially when her eyes widened and she put her hands behind her back, kind of swaying back and forth.

And so he bit back any comments on what Veld would say about her choice of coffee, or how unhealthy it was. Besides, a caffeine addict shouldn't lecture another caffeine addict; it was hypocritical, and the Gods knew he had had enough of that crap in the last few years.

They got their order and sat in a secluded corner across from each other. He sipped at his coffee while she chatted animatedly about some anniversary event Reeve was planning in Kalm.

She took a drink of whatever the concoction was. Tseng saw her eyes widen over the miniature tower of whipped cream, and she almost choked hiding her face with one hand. "You know, I could say 'I told you so,' but I won't," he smirked, as her skin returned to it's normal color.

"Shh!" she waved her hand a little. "And don't look towards the door."

He could hear footsteps coming closer, and he grimaced. This couldn't be a good thing.

"Well, well, look who we have here." The arrogant drawl almost made Tseng relax; it could have been worse. Like…if Elena found them, there would have been a catfight and all of Edge would know by that night. "I knew you had a girl." He sat next to Tseng in the booth, motioning for the older man to move over.

Tseng rolled his eyes and Cissnei chuckled. "That obvious, huh?"

Reno laughed. "Oh yeah. You wouldn't believe it, girlie. A couple days ago, I caught him on the phone, and he was smi--Oof! That was uncalled for!"

Tseng sat calmly, checking his watch as if nothing had happened. "What?" he asked, looking back at Reno.

"'What?' You elbowed me, boss man!"

Cissnei looked at the redhead pointedly, sipping her drink. "And you should know better by now, Reno. Tseng's secrets stay secret." She locked eyes with Tseng, smiling. "Isn't that right?"

"You could learn something from her, Reno." He knew what Cissnei was doing, and he could see it was working, from the look on Reno's face.

If the redhead was fishing for info, they weren't going to bite.


	9. They Don't Know About Us

A/N: I don't own any of the characters, Square-Enix does.

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**They Don't Know About Us**

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He was losing his touch, apparently. Years before, he had been able to conceal any traces of his sometimes unprofessional relationship with the copper-haired Turk. No one knew. Not even Veld, though sometimes he thought the older man suspected them.

Now, it seemed that every time he turned around, Reno was grinning at him. He guessed that Rude knew by now, and he silently hoped that Reno was keeping his mouth shut around Elena.

He headed to Rufus' office to drop some paperwork off, knocking on the doorframe and waiting for an invite before entering.

"Come in." The young president was at his desk, seemingly engrossed in some email on his computer. Tseng dropped the stack on the blonde's desk, turning on his heel and heading for the door. "I expect to meet her, you know."

Tseng turned slowly, keeping his face blank. "Meet who, sir?"

"Whoever this girl is. And don't tell me there isn't one, Tseng. You're actually leaving work on time," Rufus smiled wryly at him.

"Of course, sir." He turned to head out again, hoping other man wouldn't have any more 'requests.'

But this _was _Rufus he was dealing with. "Seventh Heaven, Tseng. Seven o'clock tonight. Be there; it should be fun."

"Looking forward to it." His voice was even, even as his chest tightened. How much did Rufus know?

Seventh Heaven. It was a public place, nothing was going to happen tonight. And if something did go wrong, she could warn Veld and the others.

"Bring her with you, don't worry about Elena."

"Yes, Mr, President." With that, he walked out of the office, the heavy feeling still weighing on him.


End file.
